The Windies Blog - Part Two

Watch This is blaring out (as it does at very regular intervals throughout all the games), and Bangladesh have just taken a wicket with the first ball of the crucial Sri Lanka v Bangladesh game. Crucial - well the teams that finish in the top four of each group will automatically qualify for the next WWT20 in 18 months time in Australia. There is plenty to play for, even if neither of these teams has any real ambition of getting to the semi-finals.

It's Wednesday and Australia are already into the semi-finals after a comprehensive win over arch rivals New Zealand yesterday evening in Guyana. Yet another 50 from Alyssa Healy - her third in a row - which also gave her her third Player of the Match award, as Australia moved to three from three. But it was no walk in the park and if New Zealand had fielded better things could have been very different. As it is their tournament is all but over. India play Ireland tomorrow and if they should win (they are 1/80 to win with the bookies), then New Zealand will know their fate before they bowl a ball in their last group game immediately afterwards. A period of soul searching in New Zealand is almost certain. Yet another failure on the World stage and a very poor 2018 overall could mean changes.

Going back, England finally got their campaign underway with a workmanlike win over Bangladesh, with Mark Robinson taking the opportunity to blood all three newbies - Linsey Smith, Sophia Dunkley and Kirstie Gordon. Smith and Gordon took wickets, with Gordon finishing with 3/16 and the Player of the Match award. Dunkley took a catch, but was not needed with the bat. England restricted Bangladesh to 76/9 with Ayasha Rahman hitting 39 of the first 42 runs, and then lost Danni Wyatt first ball and Tammy Beaumont for 2. If Amy Jones had been caught early on then life could have got really tough, but Jones 28* and Nat Sciver 23 broke the back of the chase and Heather Knight finished it off, when the teams returned after a heavy shower of rain and England's target had been reduced to 64. Team selection for Friday's game with South Africa could be interesting. This is not a pitch which merits three spinners, let alone three spinners with the same left-arm action.

After this Sri Lanka v Bangladesh game happening in front of me, South Africa will take on the Windies. Both have a win and two points under their belts,  and another win will put them in a strong position, but even the team that loses can still qualify. Both still have England to play, who sit on three points from a win and an abandoned game. If England beat them both they will be through, but lose to one or the other and they could come unstuck.

For now the atmosphere is quite subdued at the Daren Sammy Stadium. I have a feeling it may get a little more raucous later on...

.....it did!

After Sri Lanka had duly beaten Bangladesh, who once again failed to get to 80 in 20 overs, it was time for the Windies v South Africa clash. The crowd had grown to about 3,000 and as Deandra Dottin carved Shabnim Ismail for 6 over third man they went bonkers. It was fabulous to be there. "That's the way man!" shouted the St Lucian gent in front of me. "Naah you mean woooman" his mate corrected. "Naah she de man!" They loved it.

They weren't quite so pleased as Windies batters came and went, but at least they took the total passed 100. It was something for their big quicks to get their teeth into. And they did, backed up by some great fielding and four wickets from off-spinning skipper Stafanie Taylor, as South Africa crumbled, losing their last five wickets for just one run, to lose by 31 runs chasing just 107.

With each falling wicket the crowd noise got louder, as the self-belief grew in the Windies players and their raucous supporters. It was a great atmosphere and wonderful to watch as a neutral. England's  encounter with the Windies on Sunday may be a more painful watch.

Before then they take on a cowed South Africa on Friday. On this lively wicket Ismail and Kapp look a handful, but with the ball coming onto the bat it might be a wicket to suit Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones and Heather Knight's  batting styles. It will be a contest. Whether England will have the right bowling attack for this pitch is perhaps more in question.

Mark Robinson only has one more seamer to call on in Tash Farrant. She will get swing, but tends to kiss the surface rather than bang it in. It means her margins for error are pretty small. Despite her debut 3fer this is not a pitch to suit Kirstie Gordon's slow left arm loop. She may miss out.

Off-spin may be the way forward with the ball skidding through, which could mean Dani Hazell gets a recall. It's a tough decision for Robinson. He will know that a win on Friday will mean England are almost on the plane to Antigua, rather than back to Gatwick. Sri Lanka could also get to 5 points if they were to beat the Windies in their final game on Friday too, but England's net run rate looks likely to pull them through, even if they were to finish level on points with the Lions.

If the weather plays ball Friday at the Daren Sammy Stadium should be another blast.

Martin Davies
15/XI/18